


Distractions

by cmk418



Category: Firefly
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-08
Updated: 2011-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 09:14:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28793010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cmk418/pseuds/cmk418
Summary: When one of Mal's plans goes awry, River saves the day
Relationships: River Tam/Zoë Washburne





	Distractions

The gunfire came to a rather abrupt halt. Zoe paused to reload her shotgun and turned back to the action, ready to shoot.

Mal’s hand reached out and clasped the barrel of the gun, directing it away from the bandits who’d underhandedly decided to take back the money that _Serenity’s_ crew had rightfully earned.

“What the-?” She glanced up toward the crest of the hill where the opposition had taken cover. There was a naked girl, walking casually into the line of fire.

_A very familiar naked girl._

Zoe couldn’t hear what River was saying to the bandits. An angry buzz filled her brain, partially directed toward Mal – and after all this time, she should have known that the plan would wind up being more complicated than they’d like, partially directed toward the men who’d started this fight in the first place, but mostly toward River, who was out there risking her life in providing a distraction. Yes, there’d be hell to pay when…

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she nearly missed River’s single-handed attack on the three men that had engaged she and Mal in gunplay for the better part of the morning. The girl danced a whirlwind of kicks and punches, knocking the men out and stripping them of their weapons before striding back down the hill toward Zoe and Mal.

Mal handed River his duster and said, “Thanks. Ready to fly us out of here?”

River nodded and scampered back to the ship.

Zoe didn’t say anything. The fury was rolling off her in waves. She wished River would have left her one bandit to shoot at in order to get some of the aggravation out.

She paced the floor of their bunk and was on her twenty-third lap when River descended the ladder.

“What… No. I don’t want to hear it.” Zoe sat down on the edge of the bed. “Strip,” she commanded in a quiet voice.

River quickly shed her clothing and stood naked in front of Zoe. “In the war, when the recruits would do something foolish, they needed to be punished. One of our commanding officers was in favor of the bare-assed spanking. I was on the receiving end a time or two, and when I moved up the line, I also meted them out. I believe your actions today warrant such a punishment.”

“Should I count?” asked River, bending so her stomach rested on Zoe’s legs.

“Twenty,” said Zoe.

The first ten blows to the girl’s backside came without comment. They were sharp and heavy, taking the edge of Zoe’s anger.

“What you did was wrong,” Zoe explained, with a slap.

“Eleven.”

“It was reckless..”

“Twelve.”

“…foolish…”

“Thirteen.”

“And. Wasn’t. Part. Of. The. Plan.” Each word was punctuated with a spanking and a whispered number.

Zoe paused. “You could have been killed,” she whispered. “I don’t want to lose you like that. I can’t go through anything like that again, you hear?”

“Go ahead,” River whispered, urging Zoe to finish her punishment. The slap echoed in the room and then Zoe pulled River up, hugging her tightly.

“Thank you,” said River.

Zoe didn’t need to ask why River was thanking her.

“I won’t say I’m sorry for fighting the men who were shooting at you. I am sorry for scaring you, but I’m not sure I can promise that it won’t happen again.”

“I guess that will have to do,” said Zoe, drawing her into a kiss. “But, why did you have to go out there naked?”

“I believe that we’d stand a better chance if they saw I was unarmed, that way, you or Mal could get a shot off when they were distracted. I didn’t count on you being distracted as well.”

“You’re…” she dropped a kiss on River’s shoulder “…distracting.”

“Should I distract you now?”

“Please,” whispered Zoe.


End file.
